Paris, France

Starring:Leslie Hope, Peter Outerbridge, Victor Ertmanis, Dan Lett, Raoul Trujillo, Patricia Ciccoritti
Director: Jerry Ciccoritti
Studio: Allumination
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Something like a perfect artistic union is achieved in the major components of Paris, Texas: the twang of Ry Cooder's guitar, the lonely light of Robbie Muller's camera, the craggy landscape of Harry Dean Stanton's face. In his greatest role, longtime character actor Stanton plays a man brought back to his old life after wandering in the desert (or somewhere) for four years. He has a 7-year-old son to get to know, and his wife has gone missing. The material is much in the wanderlust spirit of director Wim Wenders, working from a script by Sam Shepard and L.M. Kit Carson. If the long climactic conversation between Stanton and Nastassja Kinski renders the movie uneven and slightly inscrutable, it's hard to think of a more fitting ending--and besides, the achingly empty American spaces stick longer in the memory than the dialogue. Winner of the top prize at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. --Robert Horton

Description

After four years' absence, a social dropout reappears in l.a. to claim his abandoned son and then heads for texas to reunite the boy with his mother.

Customer Reviews:

And Now For Something Completely Different.......2007-06-11

Before you rush out and buy the "Paris, Texas" (1084) DVD based on the many glowing reviews and comments, you may want a bit of a reality check. The film is 145 minutes long, that's almost two and a half hours. And not much happens during this time. The pacing is about on the level of "The Straight Story" (1999), which was only 112 minutes; so if that film had you climbing the walks you should probably steer clear of this one.

On the other hand "Paris, Texas" is a technical masterpiece with great photography, excellent directing, and solid performances from the entire cast (although that cast is small). And it's a lyrically told story about loss, loneliness, and eccentricity; a look America and American values from an outside perspective (in this case European). I'm not sure that the film's message(s) is gotten across (unless you listen to the commentary feature on the DVD and maybe not even then) but it is certainly more coherent than when Michelangelo Antonioni tried to do the same thing in the early 1970's.

The film opens with a wanderer walking alone in the desert. You eventually learn that this is not Howard Hughes but Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton), that he has been missing the past four years, has semi-amnesia (a lot is made of this but the condition is never adequately explained), has a seven year-old son name Hunter (Hunter Carson), and a wife named Jane (Nastassia Kinski). Kinski fans will be somewhat disappointed as she does not even appear until the last third of the film (except briefly in some grainy home movies).

The film could actually be classified as a "buddy picture-road movie" or two buddy picture- road movies. The first third features Travis and his brother's (Dean Stockwell) journey from Texas to LA, the final third Travis and his son's journey back to Texas. The weakest part is the middle third which serves little purpose other than providing some background details and linking the two journey segments.

Because "Paris, Texas" is not your standard pre-sold commercial product, most of its suspense comes from the viewers themselves, who have little idea just where the film is headed. So if you watch a lot of films and are jaded because everything is so predictable, this movie viewing experience should be a nice change of pace.

Because you haven't met these characters in other films, it takes a lot of storytelling to flesh them out, which is probably the biggest reason for the film's extended running length. Sam Shepard's script is not so much elliptical as it is evasive, somehow the characters tell us their most basic beliefs and deepest fears without really revealing anything about themselves (insert "Two Lane Blacktop" here).

German New Wave director Wenders gets an astonishingly unaffected performance from young Hunter Carson, as convincing as any you are likely to find. Carson never did much after this amazing debut.

The most intriguing sequences take place between Stanton and Kinski. The actors are never face-to-face as their characters speak to each other from opposite sides of one-way mirror. Travis has found Jane working in a seedy shop where lonely men pay to talk to women on the telephone.?

The DP fills the screen with images of people dwarfed by vast, distant, and impersonal land/ cityscapes. The most effective and original is a sequence of Travis walking along a bridge over a LA interstate with the audio supplied by an unseen (until the end) and rambling derelict addressing the bumper to bumper traffic rushing by below.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

A Beautiful Movie.......2007-03-30

Paris, Texas is a real place. Supposedly, the main character, Travis, claims his old father once said he was conceived in Paris, Texas, some tiny dusty ghost of a town blistering in the dry heat of the Mojave somewhere in the center of Texas. Hardly the Paris we'd all first assume.

We find Travis lost, depressed, mute and alone in the center of the hot summer Texan drylands.

Like an egg cooking, we are slowly introduced into this shy and sad character's life. A doctor finds him with only a single clue, a business card in his pocket. The name of the person on the card happens to be his brother (Dean Stanton) in Los Angeles.

From here, the story develops when Travis'es brother's character is developed. We see how his brother took care of his son and then we are introduced into his brother's household where we meet his son Sullivan who vaguely remembers his biological father, Travis and refers to his uncle and aunt as "mom and dad."

The movie slowly unpeels Travis'es life like a gentle emotional nostalgic striptease, until nearly 1 hour and 50 minutes into the film, we finally discover who Travis's lover and who Sullivan's true biological mother is.

It's a slowly developing movie that is patient and true to the nature of our protaganist who has gone 4 years without talking and who has changed as a result of the path in life he's taken.

Wim Wenders, director of "Wings of Desire" has his signature cinematographic touches and as always, patiently introduces us to new characters in an intriguing manner.

The late introduction of Natasha Kinski's character was beautifully done as we develop a picture of her and finally are introduced to her mystically in a red car riding through through tributary freeways of Houston, Texas. So much development is made of her character, that, when we are finally introduced to her, in a seedy joint with "pay to talk to chicks booths", she portrays the very goddess like appeal and attraction that Travis'es character has for her. The sordid location served little significance.

Her acting is convincing and angelically portrayed, and beautifully written.

Visually, the movie is ethereal. The night colors of Los Angeles are remarkable. The landscapes invinceable. There is also an intriguing interpretation of America from a German Director. Sometimes the character mannerisms, behaviors and dialogues are too European and unAmericanly directed. But all and all, I love this movie as I appreciate most Wim Wenders movies.

My favorite scene was easily the scene with Sullivan and Travis chasing mom on the freeways of Houston. It was an exciting, romantic artistic creation.

The scene of the man screaming above the noisey, apathetic Los Angeles traffic was gripping too.

Travis aria to Kinski beyond the dark barrier of a peepshow booth in the third person was oscar award winning.

A Great Movie.......2007-02-03

What a great movie. One of the best movies I've seen in years. I recommend it to anyone who likes early 80's era of a basic storyline about love & justification.

Crash and Burn.......2007-01-30

Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell are two of my favorite actors. And this movie starts out wonderfully, with a heavily mysterious atmosphere which compels the viewer to keep viewing. Unfortunately, it's a trap: There is no revelatory explanation coming for the mystery, ever, and the once mysterious and compelling protagonist degenerates into a self-absorbed and irresponsible shiftless nincompoop in arrested adolescent development with no redeemable qualities whatsoever. Trouble is, this movie seems to glorify him...ugh! And then, the disparity of age between the male protagonist (Stanton) and his ex-girlfriend character (Kinski) was very very close to laughable. Never would happen in the real world, unless Stanton's character was loaded with money, which he wasn't.
I have seldom seen a movie soar so high for the first hour, then crash and burn so drastically for the next hour...and a half.

Not For Everyone, but Powerful .......2007-01-13

This is a very long movie with virtually no physical "action." It is words and feelings and feelings not spoken that should be and all permutations of the above. The understated performances from all lend themselves to the broad expanse of space Wenders creates here. The actors give full, highly complex performances, but within the context of the Texas desert and the American southwest, the humans are dwarfed by the world around them.

This movie will not appeal to everyone. It is talky and the language borders on the poetic quite often. The ending is both satisfying and not satisfying and leaves many questions. I, for one, can't help but think the child ends up back with Travis' brother Walt and his wife. However, that could be argued. Trust me, it has been.

Anyhow, this is a fascinating character study in which the scenery and the music become active characters in the film. Dean Stockwell controls the first 45 minutes or so and then deftly hands it over to Harry Dean Stanton who then hands it over to Nastassja Kinski. In the middle of all this is the keeper of the baton, Hunter Carson. It is an amazing piece of work for them all.

Average customer rating:

Last Tango in Paris
Absolutely HATED the end...
Stunning performance by Brando
Brando and Paris
A WASTE OF TIME & MONEY

Last Tango in Paris
Starring: Marlon Brando , Maria Schneider , Maria Michi , Giovanna Galletti , and Gitt Magrini
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Dreamers (Original Uncut NC-17 Version)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Two-Disc Special Edition)
1900 (Special Collector's Edition)
The Conformist (Extended Edition)
Intimacy (Unrated, Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: 6305132917
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Amazon.com essential video

Bernardo Bertolucci's controversial 1973 film stars Marlon Brando as an expatriate American in Paris reeling from his wife's suicide and entering into a nihilistic sexual relationship with a young woman (Maria Schneider). The film is still shocking, not simply because of its (sometime unconventional) sexual sequences, but because Brando's protagonist needs his liaison with Schneider's character to remain anonymous, an experience not to be shared but indulged on either end. Bertolucci is also operating on subtext here: in a way, Brando's nonengaging engagement is a metaphor for a certain attitude toward directing movies. Jean-Pierre Léaud costars, but the film is more than anything a vehicle for a great performance by Brando. --Tom Keogh

Description

Penetrate the moody, sensual world of Last Tango in Paris, and prepare yourself for "the most controversial film of its era" (Leonard Maltin). Nominated* for two Academy Awards(r)Director (Bernardo Bertolucci) and Actor (Marlon Brando)and exuding a sexual energy unlike any film before or after, this is the scintillating classic that shocked a nation...and "altered the face of an art form" (Pauline Kael). He (Brando) is a 45-year old American living in Paris, haunted by his wife's suicide. She (Maria Schneider, Jane Eyre) is a 20-year-old Parisian beauty engaged to a young filmmaker. Though nameless to each other, these tortured souls come together to satisfy their sexual cravings in an apartment as bare as their dark, tragic lives. Caught up in the frenzied beat of a carnal dance they cannot seem to stop, these unlikely lovers take their passion to erotic heightsand depthsbeyond anything they could ever have imagined.

Customer Reviews:

Last Tango in Paris.......2007-07-04

Scandalous in 1972 and still unsettling today, Bertolucci's bizarre, fascinating psychodrama depicts sex not as a union of two human beings, but as a reflection of their alienation from each other. While the butter scene is justly famous, this isn't the only reason "Tango" stays with you. Just watch Brando closely: at certain moments you catch a glimpse of that fiery young man in the ripped tee-shirt, railing against the world's injustices, down but never out, and utterly, brilliantly alive.

Absolutely HATED the end..........2007-07-03

Aside from the infamous "butter" and the "pig f***" scene--which are embarrassing and can't bring myself to watch!--I wasn't exactly shocked at this movie at all. Now that sex/porn is pretty much in the open, you can't be shocked at this film. I love Marlon Brando, and as usual, his performance was an emotionally intense one. I didn't realize how comical and jocular Mr. Brando was until watching this movie. Despite the gloom, and dark (or orange tone!) of the film, I managed a chuckle and a good laugh from his dialog... I wish Maria Schneider's character was more developed in this film. It just seems "Paul" and her geeky boyfriend (and Bertolucci) used her as nothing but an object. I wanted to know more about her character and what the deal was with her deceased father and whether Paul putting on her father's uniform hat triggered some sort of rage within. Did he sexually abuse her? Other questions plagued me. Was Paul his wife's murderer? Was his wife a former prostitute? The end sickened me because you want (I wanted) "Jeanne" and "Paul" to fall in love and live happily ever after...but in this demented, depraved Bertolucci flick that wasn't gonna happen!

I cried at the end because it was just so confusing and tragic...this poor man--despite his actions--finds love, refuge, and happiness and they're all literally shot down.

Stunning performance by Brando.......2007-06-11

On the cover of the paperback edition of my novel A Perfectly Natural Act there is the blurb: "As compelling as Last Tango in Paris!" (This is not a shameless plug since my novel is long out of print.) When your work is touted as being "like" some earlier, successful work, you can be sure what is really being said is your work is not all that good and needs some hype to move it off the shelves.

So it took me 33 years to finally get around to watching "Last Tango..." and that is all to the good because if I had watched it when I was young, the barbarous sexuality would have sorely distracted me. Well, Maria Schneider (Jeanne) would have. She is very sexy and is shown complete ("she comes complete"!) in a number of scenes. Her acting ability has been challenged by some, but I thought she did a nice job in a difficult role.

Problem was she was paired opposite Marlon Brando (Paul) who was busy giving one of his greatest performances. Brando said some time afterwards that he never wanted to do anything like this again. Presumably he was referring to the depressing nature of human sexuality portrayed in the film. This is ironic since most of the raunchy and degrading lines are spoken by Brando who improvised them himself! He later commented that some of the lines written by director Bernado Bertolucci were not to his liking. What I think happened is Bertolucci wanted to live out as a director one of his youthful fantasies (raw, anonymous sex with a young beauty) and Brando, with his ultra sophistication about such matters, played his part with a brutal satirical edge, perhaps making fun of Bertolucci's fantasy, turning it into an unpleasant, hard reality.

But the "reality" was a bit over the top for everybody. The infamous "Get the butter" scene, which was improvised by Brando and Bertolucci (to Schneider's dismay), made it clear that Paul considered Jeanne an animal that you used and nothing more. The dead rat scene and all the pig talk, ditto. Brando was also projecting his own feelings. He was 48-years-old when the film was released and was getting a paunch and losing his muscle tone. All the sex scenes but one are filmed with Brando clothed so as not to make the decline of his physical prowess obvious. He projected his own feelings about the decline of his body by referring derisively to his hemorrhoids, his prostate, and his paunch.

What Brando does so very well here is become that animalistic, but thinking brute who has his way with women because they cannot resist his alpha male prowess regardless of the gray in his hair. The early scene in the apartment when the nameless Brando just takes the nameless Schneider without so much as a spoken word or a caress might make women say "if only more men could be so commanding," and men say "I wish I had that kind of confidence." I am reminded of Brando's Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) except that here little is left to the imagination. The Brando that was Kowalski at twenty-seven (with an I.Q. upgrade) could easily be the Brando that was Paul at forty-eight.

Almost all the discussion about this movie is about Brando, and that is certainly understandable since, despite all the ugliness of the film, it featured one of Brando's greatest performances. However, the movie was and is Bertolucci's. He wrote it and directed it. His original cut runs something like four hours. The version here rated NC-17 runs 136 minutes. The problem is that just about everything in the movie that does not included Brando is a bit of an anticlimax or an irrelevancy. Jean-Pierre Leaud (Tom) of Truffaut's The Four Hundred Blows (1959) fame plays a film maker and Jeanne's intended. He was possibly chosen for the film because his boyish style and demeanor would contrast so sharply with Brando's commanding style. Two lovers had Jeanne: one was easy and boring, the other was scary and exciting. But I think Bertolucci was also having some fun with the French cinema and especially with Francois Truffaut. Perhaps it is only a coincidence that a year later Truffaut would release Day for Night (1973) (La Nuit americaine) in which Truffaut plays a director directing Leaud in a kind of pleasing but lightweight film contrasting sharply with the dark psychosis of Last Tango.

I don't think I could sit through the four hour version but it might be a good learning experience for young film makers. At any rate, perhaps some of the seeming illogic of the film might become reasonable, including the all too easy and not entirely explicable ending. I rate this film very highly because it was innovative (rather shocking for its time), with a fine jazz score, but mostly because of Brando's stellar performance and the sensual beauty of a 20-year-old Maria Schneider. By the way, the film is in French and English with subtitles. Brando's French is amusing, and whoever dubbed Schneider's English has a cute and witty voice.

Another excellent (and very beautiful) film by Bertolucci is The Conformist (1970) starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli, and Dominique Sanda. Interestingly enough Sanda was originally picked for Last Tango, as was Trintignant, and she would have given some needed depth to Jeanne's character, but she declined I guess because of all the nudity. Ironically a few years later Schneider was tabbed to play the lead in Luis Brunuel's That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) but dropped out during the filming reportedly because of a nude scene! Maybe she was afraid of becoming typecast.

I guess the bottom line on Last Tango is that it is an uncomfortable film illuminated by a veracious Parisian feel and a truly stunning performance by one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen.

Brando and Paris.......2007-05-25

Saw this movie not long after it was released,I was stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base,close to San Francisco.Brando's brillant performance was considered scandalous at the time.In 1973,I found Bertolucci's vision of middle age a bit over-the-top,and I could not connect to Paul,or Brando as Paul.I did connect to the look and colors of the film.....at the age of 56 I can better understand the simple,hard,truth that lies within this film. "Last Tango",Bertolucci,uses Brando,Brando uses the camera,Bertolucci and Brando,let us see ourselves,post youth ,middleaged,realizing someone other than yourself cannot make you happy...you must find the happiness within yourself...then Paris will become a lightful city again.....

A WASTE OF TIME & MONEY.......2007-05-24

This is one of the worst show I've ever seen. Don't waste your money buying it. Your time is better spent cleaning out gutters than watching this tripe.

I would have rated this show minus stars if it were possible.

The Transporter (Special Delivery Edition)

Average customer rating:

don't break the rules
The Transporter in Blu-ray: Action, Suspense, Romance and Fast Cars!
The Transporter
Could be the dumbest movie ever...
All action with a story included

The Transporter (Special Delivery Edition)
Starring: Jason Statham , Qi Shu , Matt Schulze , François Berléand , and Ric Young
Director: Corey Yuen , and Louis Leterrier
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Transporter 2
Fantastic Four (Widescreen Edition)
Casino Royale [Blu-ray]
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)
Kingdom of Heaven - The Director's Cut (Four-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0009VBTNM
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Amazon.com

Move over, Vin Diesel, because The Transporter, Hong Kong action veteran Corey Yuen's English-language directorial debut, is revving up to steal your thunder. As the other top-billed action star to emerge in 2002, British hunk Jason Statham--previously seen in Snatch, Ghosts of Mars, and The One--plays a hard-driving courier for well-heeled underworld clients. He follows simple rules: (1) Stick to the deal; (2) Don't ask names; and (3) Don't look in the packages he transports. All's well until he violates rule 3, discovering a Chinese beauty (Qi Shu) in the trunk of his tricked-out BMW, and foiling a deadly plot to smuggle Chinese slaves through the port of Marseilles. The first hour is ass-kickin' fun, and the stuntwork is impressive throughout, even as the plot degenerates into a predictable series of bone-breaking showdowns. Statham boasts an appealing combination of brains and brawn, suggesting the suave versatility of a promising career. Coproduced by action auteur Luc Besson and filmed on dazzling French locations, The Transporter is an action fan's delight. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is the best as what he does: transporting dangerous or illegal goods with no questions asked. But his last shipment, a beautiful young woman kidnapped by international slave traders, brings deadly complications to his delivery plans. Now Frank must kick into overdrive in a nonstop action-packed fight to save his precious cargo - and his life.

Customer Reviews:

don't break the rules.......2007-06-20

The Transporter is Jason Statham's first big solo role in a movie, and it is a success with the followups of Transporter 2, Crank, and the anticipated upcoming film "War", where he fights one on one against Jet Li. Jason has participated in several films before Transporter in somewhat lesser roles such as "The One" and "The Italian Job", but the Transporter finally lets this man shine - and he brings a character to the screen - Frank Martin - who is intelligent, skillful, strong and one downright cool guy.

The movie has a good and promising beginning, showing off the cool factor of Frank Martin immediately. Followed quickly by an intense car chase scene, the movie never lets up after that - whether it be action or suspense. The story is not too interesting, but it is put together well. Frank discovers that a package he is transporting is carrying a live body inside. Frank's "tough-guy attitude" is worn down and he breaks his own rule by opening the package. The receiver of the package is no dummy, and realizes that Frank broke the rules and has his car destroyed. Frank, fortunately absent from his car during the explosion, seeks revenge but ends up with company along the way by accident - the girl inside the package. From here the story begins to take off as Frank becomes entangled in the situation all the more.

While there isn't a tremendouns amount of action, the spacing of action works well enough. The final 20 minutes are huge, easily containing the best scenes in the movie. I especially liked the fights in the bus garage and the final highway truck scene which reminded me very much of the truck scene from "Raider of the Lost Ark".

Transporter is a great movie for Jason Statham. I really enjoy this guy, and see a good future for him. His martial art skills are truly entertaining, as is his stunts and acting. This is an hour and half of just great relax entertainment.

The Transporter in Blu-ray: Action, Suspense, Romance and Fast Cars!.......2007-05-29

I loved this movie! The story was new and creative! If you like action movies and actor Jason Statham, you'll love this movie. Filmed in the French Riviera!

Video-Blu-ray: This movie enjoys a good transfer-not perfect- but good! You still see some video noise and image grain. Overall, Just slightly better than the SD in term of details with extra grain.

Audio: simply impressive!

Bottom line: You can't go wrong with this one! Action, suspense, romance and fast car chases. If the image grain bothers you, try the SD version-it's not as grainy.

The Transporter.......2007-05-09

Totally wonderful film. Tons of action , but none of is unbelievable (this is NOT Spiderman, thank God). I am personally very attached to the location, in and around Nice, which I visit often. Statham is very cool and low key; Shu Qi is totally delicious. Her English is to die for. The French Commissaire is just wonderful. The driving action (this from a pretty crazy driver) is very satisfying. Luc Besson for ever!! As good as the best of James Bond...

Could be the dumbest movie ever..........2007-04-17

This could be the dumbest movie ever made (and that's a bold statement to make when one considers that "Underworld" also exists). Sadly, unlike "Underworld" there is no leather clad Kate Beckinsale to drool over. Instead, we are treated to a movie that could easily be confused for a map of the human DNA (but a human with an extra chromosome).

Jason Statham, so likable in "Snatch", "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "The Italian Job" is thoroughly wasted in this flick. When he's not busy escaping from his tricked out house, driving fast whilst looking cool and beating up on clichéd Euro trash delivers lines such as "Rule #1. Never change the deal" and is expected to act with a straight face when he's the recipient of this type of drivel - "You're always complaining, except when we make love. Then you say nothing.". Thankfully, the one thing Stetham is great at is keeping a straight face. But you won't. Not if you have a brain, that is.

All action with a story included.......2007-04-17

I went into watching this movie with no knowledge of what it was about. I ended up in the end of it loving it. This movie is an "all action" flick with a story included. Actually it isn't just one story, it is a couple of them. The stunts in this movie and the special effects is outstanding. If you like action flicks, you will love this one. I recommend this movie to anyone that loves action flicks and is a Jason Stantham fan as well. BTW, he does have his shirt off in a couple of scenes in this one.

Red Balloon (Ballon Rouge, Le) [Import, All-regions] (Dvd - 1956)

Average customer rating:

Red Balloon (Ballon Rouge, Le) [Import, All-regions] (Dvd - 1956)
Director: Albert Lamorisse
Manufacturer: Sky Cinema
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Aerial Sports | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

The Red Balloon

Product Features:

Academy Award Winner (Best Screenplay) 1957
Beautifully enhanced import from Korea made for dvd players in the USA/Canada/Korea (NTSC, All-Region).
This is the ORIGINAL theatrical version envisioned by the director with an English soundtrack (English and Korean subtitles).

ASIN: B000OPKP6K

Product Description

A boy finds a balloon - or is it the other way around? Together the pair wanders the beautiful streets of Paris, coping with grownups and the local bands of childrens. Then the boy disappears ... or is it the balloon that's gone. Neither? Both?

Average customer rating:

Lousy Movie
Will Goldfinger burn Paris?
Hollywood missed the point
Burned by boredom.
Conscience and Concsientiousness

Is Paris Burning?
Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo , Charles Boyer , Leslie Caron , Jean-Pierre Cassel , and George Chakiris
Director: René Clément
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

War Epics | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Train
Operation Amsterdam
The Bridge at Remagen
The Counterfeit Traitor
The Man Who Never Was

ASIN: B00008Z44M
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Amazon.com

This big-budget, star-studded epic 1966 French film features well-known actors from both Europe and America in the story of the final battles over the liberation of Paris at the end of the Second World War. Is Paris Burning? tells the story from all perspectives, from the Nazis to the French resistance, allowing for star turns and cameos from an illustrious group of actors, including Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless), Kirk Douglas (Spartacus), Orson Welles (The Third Man), Leslie Caron, Glenn Ford, Charles Boyer, Anthony Perkins, and many others. As the members of the resistance fight for control of the city, the Nazis order the commander in Paris (Gert Fröbe) to burn the city if the resistance gains the upper hand. Written for the screen by author Gore Vidal and filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, director René Clément's film hearkens back to the star-filled epics of America's heyday while retaining a modern French sensibility. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Lousy Movie.......2007-05-28

I must not have researched this movie enough before buying the DVD. I was immediately surprised by two things: (1) it's in black & white (the colored cover is deceiving) and (2) it is a French film that is mainly spoken in French although dubbed in English. The big problem with the movie, however, is that it just doesn't flow right. It bounces around too much and is not focused enough. It's just not very interesting, although it recovers some toward the end when the allies entered Paris. My 2-star rating is based on the interesting ending (it was 1-star up until then). I must say that the black & white nature of the film allowed the film-makers to blend in historical footage of Paris during that time period. Much of the ending, for instance, was historical footage of the victorious walk down the Champs-Elysees. It's a long movie, and the wait for the moving end wasn't worth it. I'll probably not watch this again.

Will Goldfinger burn Paris?.......2007-02-20

I fail to understand why a film company would go through the process of cleaning up a negative for DVD and not bother trying to source the original soundtrack for the same DVD. There must exist, somewhere, the original language soundtrack to "Is Paris Burning?" as least in some form. Even an original mono soundtrack included as a bonus would have done the trick.

As it stands, what we get looks like the version that was done a few years ago for the NTSC video release.

The film itself looks clean and clear and it's a nice enough anamorphic transfer. The dubbed soundtrack, for what it's worth is clear, but nothing spectacular. But after all it is a 1966 film. The major problem technically, is that it quickly becomes very irritating seeing all these actors performances reduced to a level of stupidity because their words don't match their mouth movements. Dubbing has never sat right on foreign films and this is no exception. It was and always will be a bad solution for idiots who cannot / will not read subtitles. It's never a good alternative. At least the Region 1 DVD has a French soundtrack. But then EVERYONE will speak French. The Region 2 version I watched didn't. Bizarrely, only Spanish and Italian were included!

The story itself concerns the German attempts to prepare to hold Paris in the face of overwhelming odds. As well as the advancing Allied armies, the Germans also have to deal with the various resistance groups that are building up in the City itself. The films portrayal of the Nationalist and Communist groups however is confused and disjointed. It looks like a deliberate attempt though to make it look like the resistance groups were essentially fighting for the same things...which historically was not correct. I also suspect the producers wished to tone down the Communist element, who were the new "bad guys" in the 1960's, so that the film would do better box office in the States. There are hints are the inter-group rivalry, but the viewer is left unclear why they exist. Either way, it is far more defined in the book that the film is based on.

Most of the performances are good and it's a joy to spot so many faces on the screen. Gert Frobe (ahem...Goldfinger) deserves special mention as General von Choltitz, the Paris Garrison commander. He has the dubious decision of choosing to carry out the Fuhrer's order to "destroy Paris" or to leave the City intact. Historically, of course, it would have been an absolute impossibility for the German's to destroy the city given the parameters involved, but the choice to obey or disobey still remained.

There are a number of cameos too from US stars, such as Anthony Perkins and Glenn Ford, but this really is a film about the French during the end of the Paris occupation.

As a whole it isn't a bad film, but isn't really a good film either. I felt somewhat empty at the end and disappointed too with some un-necessary bog standard "evil German" representations. In the main though, the German's are presented as human. The French are presented as nothing but heroic and noble, which is to be expected, I suppose, but I would have liked to have seen more of the inter- group rivalry that took place in reality. The "good guy/bad guy" polemic just doesn't cut it for a cynical post-Vietnam/Iraq audience anymore.

I can't really recommend "Is Paris Burning" in this format to be honest, but if you don't mind dubbing, sometimes confusing plot structure and a near 3 hour running time, then you may enjoy it. A version with the original French, German and English soundtrack would have been a winner, but the producers missed the boat on that one.

Bottom line is rent instead of buy.

Hollywood missed the point.......2007-01-10

Hollywood took this incredible novel of courage and cunning and turned it into a war epic filled with famous stars who appear for a minute or two only. In the waning days of World War II, Hitler ordered the total destruction of Paris. His general in command of Paris did as little as possible to carry out this order, even advised the allies that they would be welcomed with token resistance. Direct orders to the Luftwaffe to bomb Paris were ignored as well. There was an incredible spontaneous disregard of the Fuhrer's plans to destroy Paris. And when the Allies refused to march to Paris, the French Army left for Paris against orders in the dead of night, forcing Patton to race after them. Apparently, this fantastic story was too dull for Gore Vidal and a young Francis Ford Coppola, who opted instead to write a two dimensional war story about how the Americans and British bailed out the French resistance. Read the book!

Burned by boredom........2006-12-07

This is an amazingly flat piece of propaganda, perhaps government-sponsored, to depict the events in the most flattering way for the French. As usual, a Jewish question is totally omitted while depicting the horrors of Nazi occupation of Paris, as the issue has never existed. I doubt one can speak truth about the war time in France ignoring this part of history. And then, as the movie proceeds, it feels more and more as a farce. The star-studded cast, acting poorly, only contributes to the overall grotesque impression on this film, which begings to feel as a play at puppet theater or a parody, and the music that is clearly plagiarized from Shostakovich Symphony #5 Leningrad makes the final point - if Shostakovich music is truthful, serious and profound, this one is caricature, vaudeville-like and stupid.
I feel it is somewhat an insult to the true events and to those French resistance movement fighters who fought and sacrificed their lives for the liberation of their country.

Conscience and Concsientiousness.......2006-11-18

Based on the factual book of the same name, this film mixes acting with actual footage of the liberation of Paris.

A host of stars, among them Orson Wells, J P Belmondo and Gert Froebe, protrays the liberation of Paris based on the individual accounts of those involved in the forefront of all activity. Among them the story of General von Choltitz, his adjutant Count von Arnim, and of the Swedish consul, whose personal interventions ultimately saved the city and its inhabitants from the utter madness of destruction.

Shot in black and white, it makes fascinating viewing of aspects of life in those final hours of the liberation of Paris. Impressing is too that the German side is not portrayed with the customary 'evil' slant, but in a factual manner. This gives the film an edge over so many others.

Average customer rating:

5 stars
"Bon Jour, Bon Jour, Bon Jour, Oh My G*D!" ~ "Tres Magnifique Journey"
Good in a bad way, or bad in a good way? by Elissa, 13
Great movie
I liked 'em better when they were kids.

Passport To Paris
Starring: Mary-Kate Olsen , Ashley Olsen , Peter White , Matt Winston , and Yvonne Sciò
Director: Alan Metter
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Winning London
Our Lips are Sealed
When in Rome
Holiday in the Sun
Getting There

ASIN: B00005U2KG
Release Date: 2002-02-12

Amazon.com

Resistance is futile! The Olsen Twins are everywhere, and you better get used to it, especially if you have a daughter between the ages of 4 and 10. Now they're not only taking over the U.S.; they've moved on to the city of light, Paris. Unlike their series (in which Mary-Kate and Ashley play themselves), in this latest venture they play fictional alter-egos in the form of superficial, boy-crazy, 13-year-olds. Their movie mom worries their world is too small and the girls are shipped off to Paris to visit their grandfather, the U.S. ambassador to France (yes, you read that right). He doesn't have much time for them, so he prepares a daily itinerary and forces an associate, an aspiring junior version of himself, to accompany the girls. But leave it to those wacky gals: within a few days, he's partying along with them and their newfound French beaus (played by young cutie patooties who have the worst French accents this side of Hee Haw). The movie is harmless enough, and despite a pervasive materialism in Olsen fare, loyalty and friendship are at the forefront. The French locations are gorgeous and enticing. (Ages 4 and up) --N.F. Mendoza

Description

When Mary-Kate and Ashley visit France, they pack their bags for fun and plot a rendezvous with adventure! Sent to Paris to visit their grandfather, the girls fall in love with France and fall head-over-heels for two French boys! Sightseeing on mopeds, they race around Paris on a mission to see the city, make new friends, and stay one step ahead of their uptight chaperone. From shopping at French boutiques, to exploring Notre Dame and dinner dates at the Eiffel Tower, it's one hilarious exploit after another. Mademoiselles Mary-Kate and Ashley offer a passport to adventure in a tres magnifique journey!

Customer Reviews:

5 stars.......2006-07-16

This movie is a very fun movie to watch. I'm 16 and still love this movie. To the comments of them being rude and snotty, I never saw that. With the not wanting to eat the food, that's the whole point!! Their parents sent them there to experience things! They saw French cuisine, and remember: they're 12 almost 13! They won't be expected to be open-minded when it comes to new food. They portrayed 2 teen girls who wanted to have fun and a great experience in France! This movie is an excellent buy and I'd recommend this movie to anyone, young or old.

"Bon Jour, Bon Jour, Bon Jour, Oh My G*D!" ~ "Tres Magnifique Journey" .......2006-03-19

I know, you don't have to say it. My G*d it's the Olsen twins, what are you thinking? You're right, Mary-Kate and Ashley are, as always all-knowing, overly cutsie, predictable, trite and juvenile. Every one of their movies is basically the same story set in a different location. Again, all true. However in this one particular film for some reason the formula works.

Join the Olsen twins as they take Paris by storm when they visit their Ambasador Grandfather in the "City of Lights". Aided by a superior supporting cast for a film of this genre you'll be surprised how enjoyable this movie is. My daughter fell in love with this movie years ago and now eighteen, she still watches it. Putting all rational, intellectual criticism aside, this is plain and simple a fun, carefree movie that can be enjoyed by young and old alike!

Wonderful supporting performances by Matt Winston and the lovely Yvonne Scia.

Good in a bad way, or bad in a good way? by Elissa, 13.......2006-01-02

This movie kind of gave me mixed feelings. There were many good things and many bad things about the movie, and I will list a few of them:
THE BAD!
-Their parents decide that their daughters get a foreign vacation many people dream of because the daughters have no lives. (WTF?)
-Melanie and Allyson(MK & A) acted like snots in this movie by always being obsessed with popularity, their looks, and boys, and also getting away with spit-takes and sneaking out.
THE GOOD!
-The music was very illustrative to the scenes it was in and added lots of emotion to certain parts.
-In most of the movie, MK and A were very cute and fun. I loved the ending at the dance when the MK & A kiss the French boys at the dance, especially with the song they played, because I think that added a lot of feeling to the scene.
Okay, so those are my reasons. 3 stars. Ain't too bad, since some of their other movies were better.

Great movie.......2005-12-20

This is a great movie! Both Olsen and non-Olsen fans will like this movie.I Recomend for ages 9-14.

I liked 'em better when they were kids........2005-10-26

Mary-Kate and Ashley are snots in this movie! I liked them better as kids, because they were cute and too young for "making out with boys."
These dumb bimbos MK & A played were stupid snots who were obsessed with cute boys and kissing. (Where have I seen that before???) If the twins are planning on making a new movie soon, I really hope they don't have to have any dumb love scenes, because that's all marykate and Ashley ever do in their preteen movies!

Rameau - Les Indes Galantes / Petibon, Croft, Hartelius, Agnew, Rivenq, Berg, Strehl, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Paris Opera

Average customer rating:

Now this is more like it!
Great Dance music
With profound apologies to Rameau?
Paris Opeera does it up Bfrown!
Nathan Berg Steals the Show

Rameau - Les Indes Galantes / Petibon, Croft, Hartelius, Agnew, Rivenq, Berg, Strehl, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Paris Opera
Starring: Richard Croft , Patricia Petibon , Danielle de Niese , Paul Agnew , and William Christie
Director: Thomas Grimm DVD-Director
Manufacturer: BBC / Opus Arte
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Classical Music DVD Deals | Stores | DVD | Video

Lully - Persee / Novacek, Auvity, Lenormand, Whicher, Laquerre, Coulombe, Niquet, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Toronto
Rameau - Les Paladins / Piau, Naouri, Lehtipuu, d'Oustrac, Piolino, Schirrer, Gonzalez-Toroi, Christie, Paris Opera
Handel - Hercules / Shimell, DiDonato, Spence, Bohlin, Ernman, Kirkbride, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Aix-en-Provence Opera
Handel - Giulio Cesare / Connolly · Kirchschlager · De Niese · Dumaux · Bardon · Maltman · Ben Abdeslam · Ashworth · OAE · Christie · McVicar [Glyndebourne Opera 2005]
Handel - Rodelinda / Antonacci, Scholl, Streit, Chiummo, Winter, Stefanowicz, Christie, Glyndebourne Opera

ASIN: B0009S4EQO
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Customer Reviews:

Now this is more like it!.......2007-02-09

This is far and away the best Rameau DVD out there. Though the production is modern, it stays within the Barouqe style and is not a distraction from the music. The tempi are lively and slow arias are touching. The premise of the opera is original by even today's standard and offers the viewer a good idea of what a baroque opera prouction would have looked like in the 1730's while making full use of modern technology. Good extras on the DVD and very exciting music, of course!

Great Dance music .......2006-12-14

Great Fun, Great performence too!Music representing early colonial period of France You will Christie dancing at the end of the show!

With profound apologies to Rameau?.......2006-11-25

Forget that attractive, dignified cover art: this is modern Euro-trash, start to finish. Any Rameau fan who values the unique blend of grandeur and sprightly good humor that permeates so much of the French master's music will find this production patently offensive. Christie and his troops mistakenly equate vulgar buffoonery and the most absurd posturing with good humor and high spirits. That a conductor of Christie's stature endorses and participates in such revolting nonsense is (for me) a real eye-opener. Who woulda thought. Give it a wide berth, if you love Rameau.

Paris Opeera does it up Bfrown!.......2006-11-10

This is one of the most enjoyable DVD's I have ever owned. The voices and orchestra are superb, with some outstanding acting thrown in. The sets and costumes are over the top, as happens occasionally at the paris Opera. This time it is a Masterwork!

Nathan Berg Steals the Show.......2006-09-16

_Les indes galantes_ is atypical in Rameau's output -- instead of a lyric work with a single plot, we have an entertainment composed of four "entrees" with a prologue. It's a somewhat loose framework that Rameau invests with his customary vigor of invention. The music is sublime, with a nice handful of showstoppers. All in all, this is a superb performance and production that showcase Rameau's brilliance, wit, and refinement.

SINGERS - THE PROLOGUE --
The musical company is quite lavish, with no doubling of roles between entrees, except for Nathan Berg who excels in his two roles. In the prologue, I rather relished the buffoonish travesti portrayal of the goddess of war Bellone, and Valerie Gabail is sweet-voiced and puckish as Cupid. Danielle de Niese has the important role of Hebe, goddess of youth, here employed as something of the mistress of ceremonies. Ms. de Niese's physical allure and (often overplayed) stage charm fail to compensate for her deficiencies as a singer. Her voice is simply too broad, too coarse in texture, too unrefined in technique to do service to the music. (To my sensibilities, she was the one great liability in the DVD of Giulio Cesare under Christie, her Glyndebourne acclaim notwithstanding.)

SINGERS - FIRST AND LAST ENTREES--
The first entree has in Anna Maria Panzarella and Paul Agnew two protagonists ideally suited to each other -- temperamentally, physically, and vocally. The last entree has the admirable Nicolas Rivenq as the native hero Adario, and the two European suitors are well played and sung. But Patricia Petibon, whom I normally adore in this repertoire, was downright irritating. Her characterization of Zima is tediously coy ... she minces around coquettishly while singing of the simple unaffected virtues and pure love of the natives. Perhaps she intended to come off as unself-conscious, but it doesn't work and seriously hinders enjoyment of her fine voice. The big "production number" in this entree, "la danse du grand calumet," comes off splendidly; it features those dancing bison and an enormous golden turkey dominating the stage. I do wonder, though, why the choreographer had the chorus and principles dancing the "Egyptian" ... !? Perhaps this touch was done in the naive spirit of the general production design, i.e., to underscore that what we are seeing is a not-always-informed European notion of certain faraway places, which can devolve into a generalized exoticism.

SECOND ENTREE - NATHAN BERG'S TOUR DE FORCE--
It was the second and third entrees, however, that impressed me most in this performance ... The second entree is titled "Les Incas du Perou" and has a plot involving a high priest of the sun who is in love with Phani and wants to compel her to serve in his cult. She however is in love with a conquistador, Don Carlos. On the surface, the high priest Huascar seems a transplanted representation of the abuses of Church leadership. But given that the libretto has Don Carlos making reference to the superior faith of the Christians, any identification of Huascar with the Church must be considered ambiguous. Furthermore, Huascar is clearly the protagonist, the tragic hero of the piece -- with about 80 percent of the vocal music in the entree, he is no mere villain. His conflict, his torment are contrasted with the bold arrogance of Don Carlos.

All three parts are expertly sung. As Phani, Jael Azzaretti doesn't have the most distinctive timbre, but she delivers her big aria, "Viens, hymen," with considerable fervor and poise. Her characterization is a strong one, convincingly balanced between trepidation and determination. The tenor Francois Piolino has a ping to his voice that distinguishes his moments in the small part of Don Carlos, and his sense for Rameau's nuanced but alert recitative is truly a marvel. His portrayal is an odd mix of heroic and effete that is just right in bringing out the tensions in the plot. Nathan Berg as the high priest Huascar delivers a tour de force that electrified me. His bass-baritone voice has a grainy texture that gives it a rare warmth and emotional flexibility. He is also a superb actor. He allows us to see flashes of Huascar's brutishness, but he also reveals a man consumed by love and religious duty, pride, cultural identity, and sense of moral order. He has two hymns to the sun: "Soleil, on a detruit tes superbes asiles" is almost devastating in the depth of its melancholy, and "Clair flambeau du monde" is a tender air shared with the chorus. His confrontations with Phani are impressively forceful. The trio where the lovers' contentedness is sung in counterpoint to Huascar's torment was particularly vivid. From there, Huascar plummets headlong into tragedy. Berg's voice loses some steam at this point, as might befit a man at the end of his rope. The stage effects and dancing for this entrée are quite successful, although the Gavottes and Rondeau are not well-integrated, disrupting the dramatic flow. _Les indes galantes_ is thought of as light fare, but I found this entree to be gripping and disturbing.

THIRD ENTREE - LOVE SWEETLY COMIC, MUSIC SUBLIME--
What's amazing is that after this intense performance, Berg returns to sing a romantic-comedy role in the next entrée, "Les Fleurs," which has a Cosi-like plot involving two couples, romantic suspicions, and cross-dressing disguises. Three of the four singers are just splendid: Richard Croft has a vibrant high tenor with rather more substance than the haut-contre voice you might typically find in this role (much as I like haut-contres). Berg's deep voice adapts with ease to the completely different musical and expressive demands imposed in this entrée: He (and the others) bring warmth and elegance of tone; and, with a light touch, he delivers the copious plot-advancing recitatives with apt comic timing. Malin Hartelius as Berg's love interest is another poised singer and actress. Only Gaele Le Roi as Croft's paramour is less than wholly satisfying--thanks chiefly to her tortured-looking facial tics. Still, the romantic pairings are convincing and fun to watch. The quartet "Tendre amour" is for me the high point of the opera. It is a miracle of vocal ensemble writing, as delicious as the Three Women and Three Spirits in Mozart's Magic Flute. Rameau, without resorting to a round, manages to give each singer a vocal line worthy of solo performance. The bass voice here doesn't underpin the other singers but buoys them. This is one of my favorite pieces of music in all the world.

THE PRODUCTION--
The sets, costumes, and dancing all have a naive flavor that works well here. The occasional deliberate peek at the stage machinery, behind the curtain as it were, adds to this effect. (The costumes work best when they are in the same bold strokes as the sets, but some of the wardrobe comes off as cheesy.) The production is crowded but somehow not as cumbersome as a more garish, baroque design sensibility would have rendered it. There is a lot of superfluous business, but it is deliberately being staged as a grand entertainment so the over-the-top goings-on didn't get in the way for me.

THE DANCING--
Two other Christie-Rameau DVDs, _Les Boreades_ and _Les Paladins_, are afflicted by precious or excessively high-concept dancing. After that, it is a relief to report that Bianca Li's choreography is a consistent asset -- we are treated to dancing flowerpots, dancing bison, acrobatics and balancing acts. It falls short of the seamless inspiration of the choreography in Minkowski's DVD of _Platee_, but it works well within this production design.

THE DVD PRODUCTION VALUES--
The camerawork is only slightly too jumpy for my taste, but at least we are spared rapid-fire MTV-style editing. The "interview" extras are fairly routine, but at least the designer and choreographer are likable and helpful in explaining what the music brings out in them -- In most other opera DVDs the designers are so pretentious you just want to pack them off to an arteest gulag.

FUTURE ROLES FOR BERG?--
This is a beautiful set, presented on two DVDs to optimize quality. Nathan Berg is a performer I will be paying attention to. I could see him in some choice modern roles as well as baroque repertoire: as Golaud, Wozzeck, Claggart, or Jochanaan; as Christ in the St. Matthew Passion; and in Bach's comic secular cantatas (Coffee and Peasant).

Mozart - Don Giovanni / Maazel, Raimondi, Te Kanawa, Paris Opera

Average customer rating:

Good Opera!!
THE DVD SOUND IS VERY POOR QUALITY
good
Brilliant conception - but technology has failed us
Good Intro to Opera

Mozart - Don Giovanni / Maazel, Raimondi, Te Kanawa, Paris Opera
Starring: Ruggero Raimondi , John Macurdy , Edda Moser , Kiri Te Kanawa , and Kenneth Riegel
Director: Joseph Losey
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Magic Flute - Criterion Collection
Verdi - La Traviata / Levine, Stratas, Domingo
Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) / Haitink, Finley, Hagley, Fleming, Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) / Levine, Battle, Serra, Metropolitan Opera

ASIN: B00005UW7G
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Description

Set in Seville in the 1600s, young nobleman Don Giovanni is a well-known philanderer with a long list of amorous conquests. After he attempts to seduce the beautiful Donna Anna, her father's battle to protect her ends in tragedy. A film version of Mozart's greatest opera, directed by Joseph Losey (The Servant), with music direction by Lorin Maazel. 177 minutes. Cast:

Ruggero Raimondi: Don Giovanni
John Macurdy: The Commendatore
Edda Moser: Donna Anna
Kiri Te Kanawa: Donna Elvira
Kenneth Riegel: Don Ottavio
José van Dam: Leporello
Teresa Berganza: Zerlina
Malcolm King: Masetto
Eric Adjani: A Valet in Black

Customer Reviews:

Good Opera!!.......2007-03-12

Taking in consideration that it was done in the 70's it is a reasonable recording. Music is great!! Good to have one.

THE DVD SOUND IS VERY POOR QUALITY.......2007-01-23

FOR THE LATE 1970s, the audio quality is surprisingly poor.
It can barely be called hifi, the sound seems to be intended for
a tv set speaker. The costume are over the top and unmasculine for the
men. I think that overall, this is a bomb. I would recommend the following
DVD:

Mozart - Don Giovanni / Gilfry, Polgar, Bartoli, Rey, Nikiteanu, Salminen, Widmer, Harnoncourt, Zurich Opera (2001)
or
with really great singers but from 1950s (still with good sound in colour):
Mozart - Don Giovanni / Furtwangler (1954) with LISA DELLA CASA !!!

good.......2007-01-19

I live in Japan, so the product delayed for a few days. But the product is in very good condition. Thanks a lot.

Brilliant conception - but technology has failed us.......2006-11-24

I recall viewing Losey's interpretation of Don Giovanni back in the late '70s at the movies in suburban Adelaide, South Australia. It struck me then that this what opera should be - drama and music without the limitations of stage. This is still a wonderful interpretation of this work but the quality of the sound and vision on my DVD is awful. Is there no way to resurrect the original?

Good Intro to Opera.......2006-07-05

This DVD is my introduction to opera. I was encouraged to try a Mozart opera first because they are the most accessible. This production was well filmed and acted. As I do not speak Italian, I really needed the English subtitles. The only down side to this production was the quality of the voice recording. It often sounded like they were singing into a box, while the orchestra sounded fine.
If you are new to opera, this is a great DVD.

Minkus - La Bayadere / Guerin, Hilaire, Platel, Paris Ballet

Average customer rating:

Just Superb
Opulence
Rudolf Nureyev's Last Offering to the World - the exotic "La Bayadere"
Una magnífica producción.
amazing perfection!

Minkus - La Bayadere / Guerin, Hilaire, Platel, Paris Ballet
Starring: Minkus , Isabelle Guerin , Laurent Hilaire , Elisabeth Platel , and Paris Opera Ballet
Director: Nureyev
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tchaikovsky - The Sleeping Beauty / Aurelie Dupont, Manuel Legris, Vincent Cordier, Nathalie Quernet, Laurent Queval, Paris Opera Ballet
Lacotte - La Sylphide / Aurelie Dupont, Mathieu Ganio, Melanie Hurel, Jean-Marie Didiere, Ermanna Floria, Paris Opera Ballet
The Kirov Celebrates Nijinsky / Sheherazade, La Spectre de la Rose, The Polovtsian Dances, The Firebird
Cesare Pugni - La Fille du Pharaon (The Pharoah's Daughter) / Zakharova, Filin, Alexandrova, Yanin, Lacotte, Bolshoi Ballet
Balanchine - Jewels / Aurelie Dupont, Alessio Carbone, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Agnes Letestu, Jean-Guillaume Bart, Clairemarie Osta, Kader Belarbi, Paris Opera Ballet

ASIN: B000294T5G
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Description

Exotic and mysterious India serves as the backdrop to this story of doomed love between the warrior Solor and the bayadère, Nikiya, who is killed by her jealous rival, Gamzatti. Breathtaking sets and costumes are designed by Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino in this exceptional production, recorded at the Palais Garnier in Paris. Direction and choreography in this fully restored version of Petipa's original ballet are by Rudolf Nureyev. Stars Isabelle Guérin, Laurent Hilaire, and Élisabeth Platel.

Customer Reviews:

Just Superb.......2006-12-14

It is difficult to understand how other reviewers can have reservations about this performance. The production values are excellent and the dancing is exceptional - sets,costumes and the all-important lighting contribute to a stunning dvd with colour and spectacle and to compare it to the Royal Ballet version is simply pointless.
Asylmuratova looks edgy and unsure in the RB and lacks chemistry with Mukhamedov, who was oddly not his (often) brilliant self, while Dowell hammed the High Brahmin role beyond credibility. Darcy Bussell is a redeeming pleasure but all are saddled with an atmosphere of shabbiness in costumes and sets, while the stage of the ROH looks quite tatty. The contrast is even more marked with the timing of the corps de ballet which is an absolute joy with the Paris Opera company (a result which takes more than a taped stage to achieve) and for anyone considering choosing between the two dvds - there's no contest. This is the one and a wonderful legacy it is from Nureyev.

Opulence.......2006-11-05

Nuryev has gone all out in this production! The lead dancer is amazingly turned-out - great technique. Male lead has good feet. Corps...Wow! Paris Opera Ballet dancers are understated compare to American Ballet Theatre. They have a passion that is a little veiled, but after a few viewings you see that it is just as strong and present - just in a different way, a good way. It is true ballet. Your money will be well spent on this DVD! It is worth every cent!

Rudolf Nureyev's Last Offering to the World - the exotic "La Bayadere".......2005-10-19

"La Bayadere" was first presented at the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theatre by the Czar's Imperial Ballet (today the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet) on January 23, 1877. It was the creation of Marius Petipa, the unrivled Maitre de Ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet. "La Bayadere" became a classic among the great ballets of the 19th century and a useful vehicle for all the great ballerinas of the day. Petipa revised the ballet in 1884 for the ballerina Anna Johansson, and for the last time in 1900 for the Imperial Prima Ballerina Mathilde Kschessinskaya and for the benefit of the Premiere Danseur Noble Pavel Gerdt. For this 1900 revival Petipa completely refurbished with a new staging and fresh choreography. The ballet lived on for over 25 more years before it fell out of active the repertoire after the revolution. In 1941, the Ballet Master Vladimir Ponomarev and the great Danseur Vakhtang Chabukiani presented a new version of "La Bayadere" based on Petipa's last revival of 1900. It is this version that has lived on to the present day at the Mariinksy Theatre, and that Rudolf Nureyev, the greatest dancer of his generation, learned when he danced there. Interestingly enough "La Bayadere" was the last ballet Nureyev danced with the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet before he defected from the Soviet Union in 1961 while on tour with the company in France. In 1963 Nureyev staged Petipa's masterful 'Grand Pas Classique' from "La Bayadere" known as "The Kingdom of the Shades". This was the first of many stagings from the Petipa repertoire that Nureyev would go on to stage in the west, but it was not untill 3 months before his death in 1993 that his version of the full-length "La Bayadere" premiered, danced by the Paris Opera Ballet where he had been Artistic Director since 1983.

Nureyev's production of "La Bayadere" is absolutly magnificent. He called upon his close friend Ninel Kurgapkina, former Ballerina and now teacher/coach of the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet to assist him with the production. Their staging of "La Bayadere" follows the 1941 Soviet revival of Ponomareyev and Chabukiani almost exactly, with changes being very few (among these changes was the revision of dances for the female corps de ballet, along with making the male corps de ballet more prominent).

This production of "La Bayadere" is a lavish dream of the ancient southern Orient seen through 19th century European Eyes. The spectacular decor, designed by Ezio Frigerio, strays far away from the typical painted-backcloth-type sets of most ballet productions and instead, gives the Paris Opera Ballet sets to dance among - the design of the stage decor will take your breath away, as it looks very much like a priceless brazen antique - the wings and the top sides of the stage are decorated with paintings of palm trees and the like, the palace of the Maharajah in Act I/Scene 2 and in Act II pays obvious homage to the Taj Mahal, and it is glorious to see "The Kingdom of the Shades" scene danced in the jungle. The costumes, designed by Franca Squarciapino match the decor absolutly, and in the same regard take inspiration from the Indian Orient. The one thing that spoils the effect of the wonderful decor is the stage floor, which is covered with light gray marley and sealed off with rows of white tape stretching from the footlights on upstage, obviously put there to keep the dancers in perfect rows (as it does - one will never see the Kirov/Mariinky or the Bolshoi in need of such stage markers).

On the DVD liner notes, and in the credits, the music is credited as being re-orchestrated by John Lanchbery (conductor and musical director for the Royal Opera House for many years). In his past productions, Nureyev had called upon Lanchbery to revise/re-orchestrate the scores of Minkus, but unlike Lanchbery's severe revisions of the Minkus scores for Nureyev's revivals of such ballets as "Don Quixote", the "Paquita" Grand pas Classique, as well as Natalia Makarova's stagings of "La Bayadere", he has thankfully only altered a few brief passages - these changes are so minute that one wonders why it was even necessary to have Lanchbery do anything to the score in the first place, as only a person 100% familiar with the original Minkus score inside and out can make out the differences. Thankfully the score of "La Bayadere" is presented here as it Minkus originally orchestrated it (with the exception of the few changes Lanchbery did), a rare treat in the west (most everyone in the ballet world finds the Lanchbery revisions of Minkus's music to be horrific anyway). The scintillating and beautifully melodious music of Minkus sparkles in the hands of the conductor Michel Queval, making the look and feel of the ballet succeed even more. One should never judge Minkus's music for symphonic substance, but instead for its theatrical effectiveness, and even more so for the fact that the music completely accents the movements of classical ballet, and accompanies the dramatic scenes perfectly. (Note - See CD Decca 436 917-2 for the score of "La Bayadere" as re-orchestrated/revised by John Lanchbery for Natalia Makarova's staging for American Ballet Theatre in 1980. This recording is performed by the English Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Richard Bonynge)

For this performance, the leading roles are danced by Isabelle Guerin as Nikiya, Elisabeth Platel as Gamzatti, and Laurent Hilare as Solor. As with most of the ballerinas that have been coming out of the Paris Opera Ballet lately (with the exception of Aurelie Dupont and Emanna Floria of course), the leading danseuses in this film are good, but they are far from being great, and give performances that are very neutral and plain. Isabelle Guerin gives a worthy portrayl of Nikiya in this performance, though her acting is rather cardboard and docile - in the dramatic scenes the woman almost seems indifferent. On the plus side her dancing in the Act I/Scene 1 'Variation of Nikiya', and especially in "The Kingdom of the Shades" is excellent technically (the greatest interpretation on film is without a doubt Altynai Assylmoratova of the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet as danced in the Royal Ballet film of "La Bayadere"). Elisabeth Platel gives a good portrayl of Gamzatti as a character, but her dancing is very poor - I must say that her variation in the 'Grand Pas Classique' of Act II is absolutly shameful (some reviewers below give her much praise - they either know little about good ballet dancing or they need their eyes checked!). Laurent Hilaire gives a wonderful portrayl of Solor, with strong partnering of both ballerinas and elegant dancing in his variations, not to mention his great entrance in the Grand Procession at the start of Act II atop a pointy-eared elephant on wheels. Wilfred Romoli gives a graceful and elequant performance as the Golden Idol, though he lacks the "pazzaz" one should have when dancing the 'Bazhok' as it is known in Russia, while Sandrine Marache is charming and lovely in the 'Danse Manu' (doing a great job of keeping the water jug balanced on her head). The 3 Shades variations in "The Kingdom of the Shades" scene are perhaps the biggest dissapointment of all in this entire performance. Agnes Letestu, Clotilde Vayer, and Nathalie Rique do the honors here, complete with really stupid smiles on their faces that have absolutly no business among the magnificent courtly opulace of "The Kingdom of the Shades". For some reason what is supposed to be the last variation gets performed first, danced by Agnes Letestu (complete with her ridiculous smile). She does the best job out of the 3, suprising considering her terrible performance in the Paris Opera Ballet's "Paquita" film. Clotilde Vayer dances the next variation (which is really supposed to be the first one) and does an awful, boring job, again with a ridiculous grin on her face. For some reason towards the end of Vayer's variation the camera cuts off her performance and instead gives us a shot of the corps de ballet dancers feet, perhaps because Vayer's arabasque releve-elance's, which are supposed to be traveling on the diagnale but aren't, dont look so good. The last variation (which is supposed to be the second one) is danced by Nathalie Rique. She demonstrates how a ballerina can dance well but have absolutly no spark, and again we have a ridiculously out-of-place smile that warrants a good wack across the face. The Corps de Ballet does well, but its obvious that the rows of tape on the stage floor are responsible for their perfect, straight lines (watch the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet dance this scene in their film of "La Bayadere", and on another film called "The Kirov Ballet in London" to see true Corps de Ballet perfection un-aided by a taped up stage floor).

This staging of "La Bayadere" is perhaps the greatest version available on film regarding production (sets, costumes, etc.), even more so than Natalia Makarova's sandwiched versions for American Ballet Theatre (in 1980) and for the Royal Ballet (in 1990). In 2001, the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet (the former Imperial Ballet) presented "La Bayadere" in a reconstruction of Petipa's last revival of 1900. Using the Stepanov choreographic notation and other sources included in the Sergeyev Collection housed at the Harvard University Library and from their own archives, the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet completely restored the choreography, sets, costumes, and the mime sequences to their original form (one reviewer on this page says that the original choreography of "La Bayadere" is lost, which is not true, as it was notated by Petipa's regisseur Nikolai Sergeyev and his assistants around the time of the Ballet Master's 1900 revival). The original Minkus score was restored from the composer's orignal hand-written manuscript, and what a wonderful masterpeice of ballet music it is. Let us hope that this reconstruction of "La Bayadere" doesnt stay to long from DVD/video, just as the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet's 1999 reconstruction of the 1890 premiere of "The Sleeping Beauty" has. It would be a great disservice to the world of ballet....but given the ridiculous politics of the current Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet, it is likely niether production will ever find its way to DVD/video. Such a waste.

The Paris Opera Ballet has been releasing quite alot of their repertoire onto DVD over the last few years. I would never go so far as to say that they are the greatest company in the world, but they are exceptional. Unfortunatly many people feel that ballet dancing cant get any better than what they see in these Paris Opera performances - dont ever let good productions and great costumes fool you! If you want to see great ballet dancing, watch American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi, and especially the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet, which is without a doubt the greatest company in the world.

Nureyev's production of "La Bayadere" is more than just a ballet -it was Nureyev's last offering to the world before he passed away in 1993. But aside from that, this production is a resplendant grand spectacle in the tradition of the old 19th century 'Grand Ballets', and it echos the love and passion that Nureyev felt for the art of classical ballet - it is Nureyev's greatest staging of a ballet from the Classical Repertoire, and I think the old Maestro Petipa would have been proud.

Una magnífica producción........2005-09-05

Como es de esperarse de una compañía tan prestigiosa, que tuvo la fortuna de contar con la colaboración del Gran Rudolf Nureyev,y que esta vez nos ofrece una magnífica realización balletística plena de virtuosismo y color. que nos transporta a vivir las emociónes del profundo romantisismo que recrea el libreto ,y que con una espectacular coreografía El Ballet de la Opera de Paris y sus grandes bailarines nos regalan. Es una magnífica adaptación, con ligeras variantes del libreto original. y con un final diferente al montaje que de la misma obra hace Natalia Makarova. El Reino de las Sombras me emociona de sobremanera, y la compañía aporta el talento maravilloso de los mas fieles exponentes de su prestigiosa escuela. Mil gracias.

amazing perfection!.......2005-05-17

The Paris Opera Corps is the best,I just keep asking myself if they are human, they are like clones.
After 5 Bayaredes, this is still the best choice, even if Isabelle Guerin is a little cold faced, (after all, french dancers are not passionate, aren't they?) or perhaps because perfection is cold.
The coreography from Nureyev is beautiful,very dinamic, the sets and costumes are sumptuous, stunning Etoiles and soloist,
Elizabeth Platel is the perfect balance technique and artistry.
This is the glory of BALLET

Etoiles - Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet

Average customer rating:

Great
Cropped from the widescreen
Subtitles cut off
Bejart's Ninth Symphony
More than just behind the scenes...

Etoiles - Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet
Starring: Nicolas Le Riche , Laurent Hilaire , Elisabeth Platel , José Martinez (II) , and Manuel Legris
Director: Nils Tavernier
Manufacturer: First Run Features
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

Ballet & Dance | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video